In Brief: Grant promotes language study

Elementary school-age students in Memphis City Schools will benefit from a U.S. Department of Education grant to promote teaching foreign languages announced Thursday.

According to a 2007 report on the effects of foreign language study by the National Education Association, students perform better in other disciplines if they study another language because it "enriches and enhances cognitive development" and "promotes cultural awareness and competency."

The $266,025 grant from the Local Educational Agency Grants Program was announced by the office of U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn.

— Bartholomew Sullivan

MEMPHIS

TVA picks new area manager

The Tennessee Valley Authority has named Laura Campbell as general manager of customer service for TVA's West Tennessee District based in Memphis.

Campbell comes to TVA from the Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division, TVA's largest power distributor, where she worked since 2003, most recently as assistant manager of energy resources.

— Staff

WHITEHAVEN

DUI charged in crash with kids

A Whitehaven woman has been charged with drunken driving after crashing her Chevy Lumina while three young children were unbuckled inside.

Sharon A Kimbrough, 45, crashed her car into another vehicle at the intersection of East Raines Road and Millbranch, west of Memphis International Airport, Friday night.

Kimbrough had a "strong odor of intoxicants coming from her person and breath," according to the police affidavit. Police also said she was swaying while standing and needed assistance to walk. Inside the vehicle, officers found an empty cup that smelled like alcohol and an opened half-empty bottle of Canadian Mist Whiskey.

Kimbrough was charged with driving while her license was suspended, violation of the open container law, public intoxication, reckless driving, violation of the financial responsibility law, disorderly conduct, violation of the child restraint law and refusal to submit to a BAC test.

She is scheduled to appear in court Monday. Her bond is set at $3,000.

— Ryan Poe

KINGSBURY

Two men robbed, shot

Memphis police are investigating the early morning shooting of two men who say they were robbed on the 3900 block of Berkshire in the Kingsbury area.

At 12:29 a.m. Saturday, police arrived at the house to find the men lying on the front yard with gunshot wounds. They told police they were robbed by three men who took their wallets and left in a dark-colored Jeep Cherokee with a blown rear taillight.

The men were taken to the Regional Medical Center at Memphis, one in critical condition and the other in non-critical condition.